In recent years, a case in which a copy machine, a print machine or the like for black-and-white use and for color use is used by combining a post-processing device for post-processing such as punching, binding or the like with the machine has been increased. According to this kind of post-processing device, paper-sheets after the print are received and are perforated by utilizing a punching function provided on a downstream side of the paper-sheets. The paper-sheets after the perforation are aligned once again and a binding process of a ring band or the like is employed automatically by utilizing the perforation thereof.
With reference to this kind of bind function, a binding processing device has been disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2005-138549 (see Page 3, FIG. 1). According to this binding processing device, it is configured that a paper-sheet transport path bends to the down direction on the downstream side of a punch mechanism unit, and the paper-sheet aligning unit, the binding processing mechanism unit and the binder cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as binding units) are arranged in this direction on a straight line, as well as by integrating the punch mechanism unit perforating punch holes at the paper-sheet and the binding processing mechanism unit mounting a ring type binder at the punch holes, the punching processing process and the binding processing process can cooperate with each other. Such a configuration of the device enables an efficiency of the binding process to be improved.
However, according to the binding processing device as seen in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 2005-138549 (see Page 3, FIG. 1), the paper-sheet aligning unit (hereinafter, also referred to as paper-sheet reserving means), the binding processing mechanism unit (hereinafter, also referred to as binding means) and the binder cartridge are arranged on a straight line, so that there are problems as follows.
i. The whole of binding unit becomes long, and in case of seeing the binding processing device as a finisher of a picture forming device such as a copy machine, a printing machine and the like, it happens that the binding processing device becomes large-sized one as compared with the picture forming device.
ii. Incidentally, when miniaturization of the binding processing device is attempted by reducing the mounting space of the binder cartridge, it happens that the number of loading of the consumables which can be stored in the binder cartridge (hereinafter, also referred to as consumables storing means) is decreased (be downed).
iii. By practicing the binding process on the straight line, productivity is deteriorated because the parallel processing is difficult. Thus, it happens that speeding up of the binding process is prevented.